Author: Akumaa GhanaMPs

Mr Mohammed Ahmed Baba Jamal, Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia, has donated a total of 260 bags of cement to a number of churches and communities in his area towards the construction of their projects.

The MP, who is also a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the gesture was in fulfillment of promises he made to the recipients.

Among the beneficiaries were the Hands of God Church, the 12 Apostles Church, and Redemption Church at Akwatia, Topreman clinic, mosques at both Akwatia and Boadua and Asubone Presbyterian Church among others.

Mr Jamal said he provided the cement with money from his own pocket and not from the MP’s Common Fund which he is yet to receive.

He was hopeful that soon the construction of the Anglican and Methodist Junior High Schools at Akwatia would begin.

Reverend Father Sackey Addo, Chairman of the Akwatia Local Council of Churches, on behalf of the recipients thanked the MP for the donation.

He asked priests and Imams to continue to pray for the sustenance of peace and harmony to accelerate progress and development of the country.

The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North Constituency, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyemang has initiated a free vacation classes for Senior High School (SHS) students as part of efforts to adequately prepare students towards the next academic year.

The three weeks vacations classes which started on August 26, is expected to end by September 12, 2013.

Speaking in a brief interview with GhanaMPs.gov.gh, the MP further stated that exercise books among others teaching and learning materials has also been procured to help boost teaching and learning during the three weeks period.

According to the soft-spoken MP, the classes w is been held in two separate communities with students around Agogo and Hwidiem expected to hold theirs at the Agogo Ramseyer School whiles the second part is held at the Dome Presbyterian Junior High School to cater for students around Dome and Juansa.

Hon. Kwadwo Baah was however optimism that the move could go a long way to sharpen continuing SHS students for the next academic year and also equally prepare candidates who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination and are awaiting their results and placement into various second cycle institutions.

Meanwhile, the classes is however noted to cost around GHs 8,000 including allowance for teachers and the procurement of the exercise books among other and learning materials for the students.

Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/GhanaMPs.gov.gh

Mr Fiifi Kwetey, Minister of State at the Presidency in Charge of Financial and Allied Institutions said on Wednesday that the short-term profit making business ventures were bane to the national drive for development.

He was speaking at a Stakeholders Forum organised by the Money Lenders’ Association Ghana (MLAG) ahead of the Association’s Annual General Meeting held in Accra.

Mr Kwetey reminded members of the Association of their responsibilities of assisting operators in the informal sector to have access to credit facilities at a cheaper rate and cautioned the members not to exploit the lenders.

Mr Kwetey who is also the MP for Ketu South said members of MLAG could roll out innovative and quality ways of creating sustainable profit on a larger platform.

Mr Fidilis Bazaanaa, Deputy General Manager of Operations with the Co-operative Union Association called on the money lenders to apply due diligence to avoid delinquent loans.

He proposed improved internal control measures such as hiring honest and integrity-keeping staff, good record and accounting system as a means of checking and avoiding delinquent loans.

Mr Charles Mintah, Acting Chairman of the MLAG stressed that it was critical for money lenders to reduce lending rates in the interest of the informal sector.

As a way to achieve this, MLAG has proposed an inclusive and collaborative approach, that would benefit all. “We have thus called for papers from all stakeholders to a working committee yet to be set up to delve into the above issue,” he added.

The MLAG was incorporated in 2010 to bring members under one umbrella to develop conditions and regulations that would best serve the interest and enhance operations of members and to help members to develop and improve their capacity building and advocacy.

They also provide acceptable operating standard of practice for members and to internally monitor and regulate operations of members.

GNA

Member of Parliament for Bawku, Mahama Ayariga has said it was time a review that will possibly ensure the lifting on the ban on motor riding in Bawku is carried out.

According to him, the ban has had a toll on both the social and economic lives of the residents as motor riding is the most patronised means of transportation among the people.

National Security imposed a temporal ban on Thursday, April 8, 2010, which was geared towards reducing the spate of lawlessness and murders in the area.

Bawku until the ban had known little peace and was breeding ground for ethnic blood-bath between Kusasis and the Mamprusis.

Many of the killings were done with the help of motor bikes because the gun men immediate flee from the crime scene.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Friday, Hon. Mahama Ayariga who is also the Minister of Information stated that though there have been series of discussion on how to lift the ban and ensure that it does not trigger any conflict in the area, the Security Council has resisted that move.

He noted that, Bawku is generally calm and peaceful with people relating very well across ethnic groups and also having their economic activities without fear or favour and have come to realization of the need to work together to promote peace in the area.

Hon. Ayariga added that the fact the 2012 electioneering campaign and the election proper in Bawku went on peacefully has given him the confidence that peace has really come to stay in Bawku.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

A total of 238 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) recruits on Monday passed out from the Fire Academy and Training School in Accra after successfully undergoing training for a year.

Dr. Alfred Sugri Tia, Deputy Minister of Health, in an address at the passing out parade, said the number, would augment the current 451 EMT staff of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), bringing the total of emergency staff to 689.

He said government is committed to ensuring that health service delivery was brought to the door steps of every one living within the country, hence the investment in preparedness and mitigation initiatives that would protect the lives of residents and other stakeholders.

The Ministry was also working towards the upgrading and enhancement of all emergency facilities to respond efficiently to emergency needs of the citizenry.

He explained that the recruits, who constitute the sixth batch of EMT-Basics to pass out from the training school, would be posted to the various NAS stations to form a strong team, who would be relied upon to provide professional emergency care to the people of Ghana.

Dr Tia stated that the Ministry further recognizes the need to build a high level of preparedness in communities, with emphasis on equipping every household with adequate knowledge and heightened awareness, to minimize any damage to life or property should a disaster strike.

“I am proud to note that our EMS team was able to respond with admirable speed, efficiency and expertise to the cargo air crash accident and the Melcolm Disaster, both of which occurred in our country in recent times”, he said.

He commended the emergency team of the NAS for their untiring dedication to modernizing and improving the service system to meet world class standards.

He, however, reminded them of the fact that people’s lives depended on the quick reaction and competent care of ENTs and Paramedics during emergencies and these required renewed commitments on the part of these professionals to achieve the goal of preventive deaths, and trauma among other things during disaster and accidents.

He urged the graduates to be committed to duty at all times and to be concerned about their clients always.

Four categories of awards were presented, with Mr Eric Agbenohevi taking the Overall Best student, Mr Lawson Anati, Best in Foot Drills, Mr Isreal Mensah, Best in Academics and Ms Kafui Penti, Director’s Award.

GNA

As the judgment day approaches, one city that is catching the attention of the local and international communities, perhaps, due to obvious political leaning of its majority, is Kumasi.

Noted as the ‘World Bank’ of the NPP, Kumasi has solidly stayed with the biggest opposition party, albeit, the recent increase in the presence of the NDC as manifested in the increase of votes cast in the favour of the NDC in the last general elections.

With this background, the city is inundated with the presence of the police force who have demonstrated their readiness to quell any disturbance that may arise before and after the Supreme Court judgment on the election petition case on Thursday.

In an interview with Patricia Appiagyei, the NPP MP for Asokwa and former Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolis, she expressed optimism that, wherever the pendulum will swing, the people of Kumasi are ready to accept it, notwithstanding the fact that, the city is NPP’s stronghold.

“Whichever way it goes, the people of Kumasi are prepared to accept it peacefully and move on with life. I don’t think any disappointment would cause any mayhem or trouble in the city”, Mrs. Appiagyei told The Independent.

However, she was quick to add, “I know that Kumasi is positive that it will go NPP’s way”.

On the comparatively high presence and surveillance of security forces in the metropolis, the MP said, “I don’t know what the intention is, but I believe that they know Kumasi is NPP’s stronghold and if anything would erupt, it might start from Kumasi. But I don’t think that would happen. We love our country and wouldn’t want to tear it apart”.

With the peace calls increasing on both sides of the political ‘coin’, it appears the parties in the case are ready to go with the Supreme Court verdict which means the destiny of the nation now lies in the hands of the nine revered justices of the highest court of the land.

Mrs. Patricia Appiagyei has a few words for the panel of judges led by its president, Justice William Atuguba.

“We would like to see fairness in whatever verdict they would give. Whatever particular reason they would give for pronouncing that verdict, would be understandable”, Mrs. Appiagyei advised.

In line with measures by government to help bring healthcare services to the doorsteps of Ghanaians, the Member of Parliament for Tolon in the Northern region, Wahab Suhiyini Wumbei is planning to construct Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) centre at Tali.

This will ostensibly serve as first point of call in case of any health problem by inhabitants as well as help mitigate unnecessary deaths in various tertiary or major healthcare facilities or hospitals due to problem of no primary healthcare services in relatively smaller communities.

In an interaction with Ghanamps.gov.gh, Hon. Wahab Wumbei intimated that he is willing to pump some resources from his quota in the NHIS fund to push that project.

He explained that with such a facility in place inhabitants could then access primary healthcare services that will help ease pressure in the clinics and other health centres around the area.

For an averagely small community like Tali, it is obvious that it might be overwhelmed with some social challenges that might retard growth and development of the area, however with efforts in place to assist complete such a meaningful facility in the near future, it will help to gradually meet the quality of life expected by all individuals within the district.

Jonathan Jeffrey Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh

A deputy minister of Information and Media Relations has lauded the call by Presbyterian Church for government to deal firmly with “pervasive” corruption.

He however adds that churches are also corrupt and action must be taken to rid the churches of the corruption as well.

Murtala Mohammed also gave a tall list of corrupt institutions which included the media, parliament, police, politicians and churches. He suggested that this demonstrates how pervasive the problem OF corruption is across the country.

He was responding to the allegations of corruption made by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

A communiqué issued Tuesday by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana is pointing to a rise in incidences of bribery and corruption, theft and embezzlement of state funds. The Moderator of the General Assembly, Right Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey says the situation is “pervasive and pathetic”.

He said there was “seemingly no solutions in sight” because government was not treating “corruption as the number one national enemy”.

They have also revived a scandal that hit the Savanna Acceleration Development Agency (SADA) which involved tree planting exercise in which about 33 million Ghana cedis was spent on planting trees in the Northern part of the country

The Church is challenging government to retrieve the money and punish the culprits.

In response, a deputy minister of Information and Media Relations Murtala Mohammed acknowledged the problem of corruption which governments over the years has had to grapple with.

He says the canker cannot be limited to government alone but includes the media which was cited as the third most corrupt institutions by a Transparency International report.

“I believe there are instances that Parliament is indicted…instances that the police and politicians are indicted and I believe there are instance that even religious groups embezzles funds in the churches”, he said.

The call made by [Presby Church] is the right call, he said

He pointed out that government was doing enough to deserve public commendation for fighting corruption. He said President Mahama has instructed the Attorney-General to prosecute any person found to have embezzled funds as cited by the Auditor-General’s report.

This is a first as far as the deputy minister was concerned.

He said president Mahama had set up a committee to look into the SADA scandal. The Deputy Minister said the investigations are not yet done. When it is, government would make them public, he assured.

He was “surprised” that the Presbyterian Church has not taken notice of efforts by government to fight corruption.

Whilst conceding that the church did not deliberately ignore the efforts by government, he reminded them that the President is still committed to the fight against corruption.

Myjoyonline.com